All Roads to Kerala

This is a discussion on All Roads to Kerala within Route / Travel Queries, part of the Travelogues category; Guys,
Will be driving around central/south Kerala for a week or so around end-Sept/beginning-Oct. Two confirmed spots on the agenda ...

Will be driving around central/south Kerala for a week or so around end-Sept/beginning-Oct. Two confirmed spots on the agenda are Cherai and Ashtamudi. Needs your inputs on:

a. Best route from Bangalore to Cherai

b. Route conditions from Cherai to Ashtamudi

c. Other options worth a look-see after Ashtamudi (ones I have in mind are Thekkady and Chalakudy. Have already been to Munnar multiple times so not interested) and the route options then-on back to Bangalore.

The fastest way to get to Cherai would be to take NH7/NH47 upto Trichur, and then deviate right towards Irinjalakuda. Pass Irinjalakuda and proceed to Kodungallur, you would join NH17 there. Continue on NH17 towards Paravur for about 4 or 5 kms - and you have to take a right towards Cherai. (I don't recall the exact name of that place, but there is a board there indicating the right turn to Cherai Beach).

After about 3-4 kms on that road, you pass a bridge (at Pallipuram) and then reach a T-junction in another 100 meters or so. Taking a left there (southwards) takes you to Cherai village (around 2 kms I think) , and you can take a right turn there that takes you to the beach (There are a couple of right turns that go to the beach - a bridge on one of them was under repairs when I went there last, so please do ask the locals there which road to take).

Please reconfirm accommodation at Idukki before you go. As of my knowledge, Idukki is a small town and very few hotels are available in Cheruthoni (close to Idukki). Things may have changed by this time though.

was in kannur last week, our house is off NH,
atleast in kannur area the roads are good, few cracks and potholes(top layer gone) can do good speeds.

calicut - kannur is generally good, i have not seen much issues on this route in the last 5 years.

+
Thanks information - I need to drive to Calicut Airport hence this enquiry.
Also understand potholes are being filled up by the workers (as per the governments new plan to keep the road pothole free).

I have seen yesterday some works are being carried out on the highway,near my place, but the work is very poor and the road surface is still bad, but ofcourse no big potholes as in the past - some releif!

Is there a direct road connecting Vagamon to Idukki? Google Maps suggests a route connecting idukki via Muttom & Kulamavu. Could we by pass them and reach Idukki via any other route?

I'm starting this Wednesday and any help would be of immense help

From Thekkady, you can reach Vagamon either via Kuttikanm-Elapara or Puliyanmala-Kattapana. To go to Idukki/Painavu/Cheruthoni from Vagamon, you go first to Kattapana and thereon, shortest. The Muttom route is longer.

I drove to Calicut airport (from Payyannur, Kannur) on saturday.
The Roads seems okay excpet in the important juctions, the road surface has gone.
They tried to fill up the potholes but most of them has come out again,however not bad comparing last year conditon. Total no road for about 100m in elathur(near calicut).very bad condition,
In general I can say good (according to the condition on saturday 17th july morning,
since then there was heavy and continuous rain here so dont if any change in condition?)

After my recent trips of Parambikulam/Chalakudy/Nilambur/Anakkati between Coimbatore and Kerala without going through Walayar, I have started wondering about all roads that lead into Kerala. I have done a few of the below list and the topmost in my mind is to go for Virajpet-Iritty, Tenkasi-Thenmala, Chittar-Dam routes. Has anyone done these? Any reports on these? Are these just as many of the other hill-crossings between TN-KL, steep hair-pin on the TN side and the gradual-descent/ windy stuff on the KL side? Any other route experiences on the non-NH kind of less-travelled routes?